These gates prevented some people on
the third floor from descending to lower levels
during the performance, reportedly to prevent them
from slipping into pricier seats.

Iroquois fireman
Sallers
inaccurately maintained the gates didn't cause any
deaths.
While it is true that the gates did not contribute
as heavily to the death toll as other circumstances,
Chicago firemen did report finding bodies at the
gates, with the body of one toddler cited in court
testimony.

As horrific as it is to imagine what it was like
for those people who could not get over them, the
important thing about the gates is in what they tell
us about the mindset of the theater managers who had them
installed.

While
Will J. Davis,
Harry Powers and
Tom Noonan did not know there would be a fire and
that these gates would prevent escape, the gates do reflect an "us vs. them" view of their customers
that contributed to their decision to operate the
theater with numerous impediments to fire safety.

If you have additional
info about an Iroquois victim, or find an error, I would like to
hear from you. Chaos and communication limitations of 1903
produced many errors I'm striving to correct and welcome all the help I can get. Space is provided at the
bottom of stories for comments, or contact
me directly.